'A serious crime': Why is Zambian President Hichilema worried about ministers sleeping?

Sleeping during cabinet meetings is a ‘’serious crime’’.

This is the warning of Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema to his ministers after observing that some of them were dozing off during crucial cabinet deliberations.

 "When you are in public office, you must have self-censure, self-control. Not to overindulge, not to extend long hours,’’ President Hichilema told officials at a public event on Monday.

‘‘In cabinet, somebody is sleeping at 10 hours. The question is, where were they? At 10 hours, if you can start gonking there. To me, that is a crime. A serious crime,’’ the visibly worried president warned.

The Zambian President did not mention any particular minister, but said he had spoken to the erring officials privately ‘‘over and over’’ without meaning progress.

He therefore felt compelled to speak about the problem publicly because of its seriousness and negative impact on performance.

Leaking secrets

"So, how do you participate in a meeting where at 10 hours in a cabinet meeting you are sleeping? What's the issue? Self-control, indulgence, self-control. The message is that you are not interested in the deliberation of cabinet on behalf of all of these. So, why are you sitting there?" Hichilema queried.

Hichilema made the comments on Monday during the swearing-in ceremony of new Local Government Minister Gift Sialubalo, where he urged officials to put the interest of the citizens above personal interests.

He expressed concern that some ministers leak official secrets, which sometimes go viral on social media.

‘‘And some people develop a knack, confidential issues, the following day they're in social media. But there were only six of us in that meeting. How has this happened? It means one of the people there (leaked the secrets) especially during happy hours,’’ he said.